Chances
by NeverMessWithTeddyBears
Summary: Mickey understands it all and suddenly Martha realises that he is the person she'd like to spend the rest of her life with.


**Chances**

* * *

><p>The first time she meets Mickey Smith, they go to have a drink with Jack at a nearby bar and laugh until the late hours of the night as they tell each other stories.<p>

They have a lot of those, she knows, because they all know the Doctor and you cannot know the Doctor and not have at least one story to tell.

It's about three hours into hanging out in the pub when she gets a call from Tom and even remembers that he might be worried about her. With all the fuss, calling her fiancée seemed to just slip her mind.

She excuses herself, answers the call and talks to him for about five minutes before returning to the table.

He's working late, again. This time, though, she doesn't seem to mind.

Mickey tells them he's going to freelance a bit, travel the world. "Try and save it a bit." he says.

She smiles. "That's not such a bad idea, you know."

She travelled the world, once, and she remembers all of it. She remembers saving it, too, and she remembers the war and meeting Tom and losing him and there are such bad memories she has attached to the words '_save_' and '_world_' that she wishes she could fix that.

She wishes she could travel the world all over again, with no war or pressure of achieving a task on her shoulders; simply travelling and saving people and doing what she once did with the Doctor. She misses it, and Tom can never understand that the way Mickey and Jack do.

"I just..", he starts, twirling the glass of beer in his hands, "I want to be doing something with my life. You know? Like, I can't go back to the way I was before - all cooped up in my apartment with my computer and maybe two friends that I could call. I'm capable of so much.", he says. "I know it sounds so stuck up now, but.. In Pete's London, I was saving the world. Hacking my way through Paris and Berlin, shutting down Cybermen in Tokio with a just a computer.", he talks with such a spark in his eyes and she is so engrossed in his story as if she's watching a movie right in front of her. "I just want a chance to do that again, because I know I can."

Jack pats him twice on the back. "You did good, Mickey Mouse.", he says and Martha laughs.

"So what's your story?", Mickey asks her and Martha's smile fades a bit.

She tells it, anyway, with a little help from Jack.

Mickey understands.

* * *

><p>Honestly, Martha doesn't think she'll ever see Mickey Smith again. They all go their separate ways and even though they exchange numbers she doesn't think she'll ever take her phone and dial it.<p>

But, fate is a weird thing and she's working a case with UNIT - something about an alien threat in Cardiff, which seems to be the it place for alien attacks lately - and he comes out of nowhere, gun in hand and a serious look on his face and as he blasts the alien that was about to attack her into pieces, she doesn't think she'll ever be as happy to see him as she is now.

"You okay?", he asks her as he extends his hand to help her up. She takes it.

"Never better.", she replies. "You've got great timing."

He smirks. "So I've been told."

Martha chuckles and shakes her head. "Lets get out of here, come on."

He nods and they go.

* * *

><p>Next time there's a threat to London, she finds herself subconsciously taking her phone from her pocket and dialing his number.<p>

"You still freelancing?" is the first thing she says when he picks up. She can almost hear him smile.

"Always."

"I've got a job for you."

He chuckles, but his voice is serious. "When and where?", he asks. She gives him the details and he comes as fast as he can.

When everything is done, they go out for a celebratory drink at the same bar where they first went to with Jack.

Tom calls her about five times. Every time, she presses 'ignore' without a second thought.

* * *

><p>Martha gives him back the ring on a Friday about three months later.<p>

"I kind of knew this was coming.", he says as he picks up the engagement ring from the table and plays with it in his hand.

Martha's lips form into a sad smile. "I'm sorry.", and she is. She really is sorry. She loved him. Both times. But, it's just.. he doesn't get it. He could never _get_ it.

She wanted to tell him everything so many times, but she bit her tongue and kept quiet. How do you even tell someone about travelling through time and space alongside a mad man with a blue box? How do you tell them about a year that never really happened? How do you tell someone that they _died_ when they're standing _right there_, in front of you?

She would wake up in nightmares she could never share. She'd get calls at three in the morning from her sister and all she could hear from the other line were her hysteric sobs. She'd pick up her keys and drive halfway across town, never breaking the call and not even bothering to change from her pajamas, only to find her sister curled up by her bed in a middle of a panic attack.

She looks at him every day and the first thing that crosses her mind when her eyes lock with his are the images of him dying.

She loved him. But ending the engagement was the right thing, and she knows that in her heart.

* * *

><p>"You're not wearing your ring.", Mickey asks her a few days later. She knows he's noticed earlier, but she's grateful that he didn't push the subject right away.<p>

"It didn't work out."

* * *

><p>One night he walks her to her door. They're talking in hushed voices because it's late at night and she spends a few seconds longer than usual unlocking the door because he just won't stop making her laugh.<p>

And then, all of a sudden, they're inside and she's pushing him against the closed door and kissing him and he's kissing her back and she thinks that she can only vaguely remember the last time she was this happy.

When she breaks the kiss they both smile as their foreheads lean against each other and he chuckles.

"Damn it, Martha.", he says and she smiles. "You beat me to it."

She laughs. "Then be faster next time, Mickey."

He doesn't waste any time and simply leans in to kiss her.

* * *

><p>She wakes up with a half-scream on her lips and gasping for air. Mickey wakes up almost immediately after, slowly putting his arms around her and humming slightly close to her ear.<p>

Nightmares happen now and then, and they've both gotten used to them. There's a routine that they follow, and it helps her fall back to sleep. This night is different, thought, because it's the anniversary of the day hell started and it's an especially hard day for all the Jones'.

Mickey tightens the hold on her waist just a bit and she curls up closer to him, taking in his warmth because suddenly she just feels so cold.

"I think she's going to call.", Martha says, her voice barely audible. Mickey knows she's talking about her sister.

And Martha was right. Barely ten minutes later, Martha's phone rings and Tish is sobbing on the other line.

Mickey gets out of bed and pulls on sweatpants and a jacket and brings her one, too, which Martha puts on as he searches for the car keys.

She doesn't break the call up until they enter Tish's room and Martha gets to put her arms around her.

Mickey just heads for the kitchen and starts making tea.

When the tea is done, he brings them all a cup and they sit down next to the bed, Martha and Tish leaning against it while he leans on the wall opposite of them.

"You wanna talk about it?", he says and Tish looks at him in silence for a few seconds. She then glances at Martha before looking down at her tea.

And then, she starts talking.

It surprises Martha for a few moments, because Tish never talked about that year with anyone other than her family, and yet suddenly she was talking to Mickey, telling him everything on her mind in rushed sentences paused only to take a sip of the calming tea.

When Tish finally goes back to sleep, Martha closes the door to her room and joins Mickey - who's sitting on the couch flipping through channels - and they sit in silence, her curling up against him.

"Thank you.", she then says and he kisses the top of her head.

"Always, love."

She closes her eyes and falls back asleep again just as the sun starts rising.

* * *

><p>The main difference between Tom and Mickey is that Mickey gets it.<p>

Mickey knows all about the Year That Never Was and he knows exactly what hell she's been through and he knows it all because she was so comfortable with telling him everything - with showing him every single part of her - and the reason she was so comfortable is because he understands.

He understands it all, and much, much more and suddenly she realises that he is the person she'd like to spend the rest of her life with.

So, when he proposes, she says "_yes_" faster than she's ever said it in her life.

* * *

><p>Their wedding is small; it's just her family - since he doesn't have anyone left anymore, at least not here - with Leo bringing his wife and children, and the crew from Torchwood. He keeps pictures of all the Tylers in his front pocket, so at least they're there in some way. Sarah Jane Smith and her son Luke are there, too, and the Doctor left her a message to keep an eye on Donna since he was forced to wipe her memories, so she knows better than to invite her although she wishes she could.<p>

Jack is Mickey's best man and her maid of honor is Tish and when they say their vows her mother cries and she can't imagine a more perfect day than this.

Later, they both swear that they heard the all-too-familiar TARDIS sound faintly in the distance.

* * *

><p>"I told you to stay behind.", he says, looking from her to where she just came from. There are Sontarans all over the freaking place and he doesn't want to be surprised.<p>

She smiles. "You looked like you needed help.", she says, leaning on the wall that was sheltering her. "Besides, you're the one who persuaded me to go freelance."

"Yeah, but - we're being fired at by a Sontaran. A dumpling with a gun.", he says. "And this is no place for a married woman.", he adds as an afterthought.

She smiles at him. "Well, then, you shouldn't have married me.", he looks at her and smiles back.

She moves to his side and he puts an arm around her. A few moments later, he takes out a map. "If we go in here, and down to the factory floor, and down past that corridor, then he won't know that we're here."

She's looking around, scanning the area when suddenly she looks up and there she sees him; all trench-coat and converses and the same suit he always wears up to the really really good hair.

"Mickey.", she calls out and for a moment he ignores her. "_Mickey_.", she calls out again. Mickey glances at her and then looks up, following her gaze.

It's the Doctor, standing above them as if he's watching over them, protecting them. "Hey!", Mickey yells out and moves forward but Martha grabs his hand.

There's something about the way that the Doctor is looking at them, as if he's saying goodbye.

Then, he slowly turns around and leaves and Martha can feel her heart slightly aching because the Doctor just said goodbye.

And, as the comforting sound of the TARDIS fills the air for what they believe might be the last time, Mickey puts a hand around his wife, hugging her, and Martha slowly closes her eyes as her husband kisses the top of her head.


End file.
